Eugnie - Desmond Seward

From 1853 to 1870 Eugenie de Montijo was Empress of the French, sharing the Second Empire with her husband Napoleon III. She impressed the Prussian Chancellor Bismarck so much that he called her 'The only man in Paris'. In sharp contrast to Queen Victoria, who met and admired her, and whose power was controlled by a constitutional monarchy, Eugenie influenced the policy of her husband, for over 17 years, at times, when he was at war, standing in for him as Regent. As crowned dictator, Napoleon's actions, and Eugenie's, affected the course of history throughout Europe and America.